P. D. Leelaratna is a great talented personality in Kolam Netum and mask maker a proud descendant from Ambalangoda on this particular field in his mid 60s.
He says at the age of 12 he was trained under Kalaguru Tukkawaduge Gunadasa in creating and cutting masks and practicing dance steps. There onwards he was trained by T. W. Oiyenis and Guru Palis who was the father of Kalaguru Tukkawaduge, though he was old, he taught them to recite the melodies correctly.
In 1962 he had performed in an Island wide competition in a group of dancers of the Kalaguru Tukkawaduge at the Rahula Vidiyala, Matara and was placed first. Again in 1963 their group was placed first at a competition held in a Community Society in Galle District. He had performed in this group with the leadership of Kalaguru right round the island. Also he had been trained under Prof. G. Thediris and Prof. Haramanis on low country “Suddhamathra Netum”. He too had mastered on making Hand “Rukada System” and making the particular faces accordingly under Pana Hawlikowa, from Czechoslovakia on this field who arrived to Sri Lanka on the invitation of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs in 1960s. He has performed in the TV Programme “Subha Udasenak -Balansabe” conducted by late Prof. M. H. Gunathilaka.
In his profession he had been a motor mechanic attached to the Sri Lankan Airlines and after retirement, he says he has plenty of freedom and leisure time and his bequeath motive is to carry this talent to future generations without making the talent fade away. Last October he received the “Ratnavibhushana 2018” award which is given in once in life time.
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